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Control over the emerging chirality in supramolecular gels and solutions by chiral microvortices in milliseconds.


ABSTRACT: The origin of homochirality in life is a fundamental mystery. Symmetry breaking and subsequent amplification of chiral bias are regarded as one of the underlying mechanisms. However, the selection and control of initial chiral bias in a spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking process remains a great challenge. Here we show experimental evidences that laminar chiral microvortices generated within asymmetric microchambers can lead to a hydrodynamic selection of initial chiral bias of supramolecular systems composed of exclusively achiral molecules within milliseconds. The self-assembled nuclei with the chirality sign affected by the shear force of enantiomorphic microvortices are subsequently amplified into almost absolutely chirality-controlled supramolecular gels or nanotubes. In contrast, turbulent vortices in stirring cuvettes fail to select the chirality of supramolecular gels. This study reveals that a laminar chiral microflow can induce enantioselection far from equilibrium, and provides an insight on the origin of natural homochirality.

SUBMITTER: Sun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6030102 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Control over the emerging chirality in supramolecular gels and solutions by chiral microvortices in milliseconds.

Sun Jiashu J   Li Yike Y   Yan Fusheng F   Liu Chao C   Sang Yutao Y   Tian Fei F   Feng Qiang Q   Duan Pengfei P   Zhang Li L   Shi Xinghua X   Ding Baoquan B   Liu Minghua M  

Nature communications 20180703 1


The origin of homochirality in life is a fundamental mystery. Symmetry breaking and subsequent amplification of chiral bias are regarded as one of the underlying mechanisms. However, the selection and control of initial chiral bias in a spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking process remains a great challenge. Here we show experimental evidences that laminar chiral microvortices generated within asymmetric microchambers can lead to a hydrodynamic selection of initial chiral bias of supramolecular s  ...[more]

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